Supply Chain Management and Strategy Implementation for Perishable Goods

Introduction

Business today is being conducted in a global environment. Globalization has forced countries and companies to become more efficient, creating the infrastructure and competitive advantage necessary to survive in the overwhelming market scenario. Companies are going truly global with supply-chain management to cater the needs of everyone throughout the globe. For example, a company, now a day, can develop a product in the United States, manufacture in India and sell in Europe. Companies have changed the ways in which they manage their operations and logistics activities according to the situation. Changes in trade, the spread and modernization of transport infrastructures and the intensification of competition have elevated the importance of flow management to new levels. The country like India which is having a geographic diversities with different types of soil, habitats, climates and vegetation is a major producer of food like, vegetables, fruits, wheat, pulse, milk, spices etc. in the world after China. Agricultural sector is a significant economic component, employing nearly 60% of the country’s population and contributing to around 25% of India’s gross domestic product. It is a challenge to manage a food supply chain that require all players in the supply chain to adhere to stringent operational practices in order to ensure the product is safe for consumption once it reaches the end consumer. Especially, in a global supply chain, when fresh or frozen foods are being transported, the procedures and equipment has to maintain the integrity of the cold chain to a more critical role to provide better outcome. Two issues that continue to drive best practices for managing the cold chain are food safety and food quality.